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History and Description
The first record of garlic mustard being
in the United States dates back to 1868. It was first spotted in Long Island,
NY. By 1990, it had spread to 29 different states. Garlic mustard is a biennial
herb in the mustard family. The first year the plants sprout, they look like a
cluster of green leaves close to the ground. They stay green throughout the
winter and produce flowers in the spring. The flowers are small and white. They
have four petals in the shape of a cross.
Uses
It is used for a vegetable because it is high
in vitamins A and C. The garlic flavor is used in cooking and to help control
erosion. It is also used for medicine to treat gangrene and ulcers.
Reproduction
The garlic mustard seeds germinate in early spring
causing them to form high seedling densities using up to 20,000 seedlings. After
they have been dispersed, the seeds remain in dormancy for 20 months. Beginning
in May seeds are produced in pods. By June most garlic mustard plants have died,
but they may still hold viable seeds through the summer.
Ecological Threat
Garlic mustard is a severe threat to many native
plants and animals. When garlic mustard reaches an area it forcefully
out competes native plants because it takes over and uses all the light,
moisture, nutrients, soil, and space.
Wildlife
that uses these early plants as food are deprived of the food they need to live
when garlic mustard replaces it. Garlic mustard also is threatening a rare
native insect, the Virginia white butterfly. The butterflies lay their eggs on
the leaves of the garlic mustard, but a chemical in the leaves is toxic to the
eggs.
Control
You can use prescribed fires, a herbicide application and stem cutting can be
used but only for short term methods. But there are problems with these methods.
Some sites are fire in-tolerant communities, the herbicides affects all
green vegetation, and stem cutting requires intensive labor.
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